Process of and apparatus for manufacturing helices



July 4, 1939. A, BRAUN 2,164,679 PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HELICES Filed Jan. 15, 19:57

Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HELICES Application January 15, 1937, Serial No. 120,805 In Germany January 25, 1936 4 Claims.

In the manufacture of cables helices of metal or insulating material are often used, which serve, for instance, in the case of submarine cables, as a protection against pressure, and in signalling cables with air-space insulation as spacer elements. In the usual methods of manufacture of such helices, their diameters may vary, owing to the variation in the thickness or hardness of the material used for the helices, and this has to be avoided as much as possible in view of the stringent stipulations that are made as regards, for instance, the uniform capacity of signalling conductors and high frequency cables with concentric conductors.

With this object in view the present invention provides a winding machine for helices in which the helices are wound over a conical mandrel, which is displaceable in an axial direction, in such a manner that, when the thickness of the wire or thread varies, the outer diameter of the helix is maintained constant.

One example for carrying the invention into effect is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which shows the machine in sectional elevation.

The sleeve 2, on which the storage reel 3 is rotatably mounted is arranged to be rotated around the mandrel I, being for this purpose provided with a driving pulley 9. The mandrel I does not rotate, being only adapted to be moved axially in a guiding support 1 by a rack and pinion operating mechanism 8. The strand 4 runs from the storage reel 3, through a hole in the sleeve 2 to the mandrel I, on which it is wound during the rotation of the sleeve, being removed therefrom in an axial direction as a complete helix 5 by the wiping pins 6 mounted in the rotating sleeve 2. By turning the pinion of the operating mechanism 8 the mandrel I can be axially moved forwards or backwards and the outer diameter of the helix be kept constant with any change in the thickness of the strand 4. Preferably, two further wiping pins, displaced through an angle of 180 relatively to one another, are provided at right angles to the plane shown in the drawing.

The mandrel can be displaced in an axial direction, under hand control or by automatic devices, in such a manner that the outer diameter of the helices remains constant.

What I claim is:

1. A method of manufacturing spacer elements which consists in the steps of, winding a strand in the form of a helix, varying the inner diameter of the helix when the thickness of the strand varies whereby the outer diameter of the helix is rendered uniform.

2. A method of manufacturing a. spacer element of uniform outer diameter which consists in the steps of, winding a strand in the form of a helix, increasing the inner diameter of the helix when the thickness of the strand decreases, and decreasing the inner diameter of the helix when the thickness of the strand increases whereby the outer diameter of the helix is rendered substantially uniform.

3. A machine for manufacturing spacer elements having uniform outer diameters comprising in combination, a conical mandrel, means for winding a strand around the conical mandrel so as to form a helix thereon, means supporting said mandrel for axial adjustment relative to the means for winding the strand thereon so that the point where the strand engages the conical mandrel may be adjusted to vary the inner diameter of the helix.

4. Apparatus for manufacturing spacer elements having uniform outer diameters comprising in combination, a rotary sleeve, a reel secured to said sleeve adapted to carry a strand for forming the helix, 2. non-rotatable mandrel supported Within the sleeve for axial adjustment with respect thereto, and said sleeve having means for guiding the strand from the reel so as to be wound around the conical mandrel whereby the outer diameter of the helix may be rendered constant by axial adjustment of the mandrel with respect to the sleeve.

ALFRED BRAUN. 

